Celebrate Read a Book Day by discovering a new favourite title! We’ve put together a list of BC books to recommend to you based on which book you loved last. Whether you’re into gripping novels, visually-stunning nature books, or thought-provoking political non-fiction, you can find a new local book for you.
If you liked this:
Read this:
If you connected with the emotional portrait of immigrants and families caught between cultures and languages in How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa, you’ll find a new favourite in this debut novel:
Reuniting with Strangers by Jennilee Austria-Bonifacio (Douglas & McIntyre)
Inspired by the work of Souvankham Thammavongsa, Catherine Hernandez and Wayson Choy, this unforgettable novel follows the reunification of Filipino caregiver families over one Canadian winter. Compellingly readable, incisive and resonant, Jennilee Austria-Bonifacio’s stunning debut opens a window into the homes and hearts of the Filipino-Canadian community.
Out September 9, 2023!
children’s illustrated
If you liked this:
Read this:
If you or a kid you know loved the combination of music, storytelling, and beautiful illustrations in Buffy Sainte-Marie’s Still This Love Goes On, we suggest you pick up:
Sanjeet and the Missing Beat by Kiranjot Kaur (Rebel Mountain Press)
For music-loving kids! A beautiful children’s book accompanied by striking illustrations starring a young musician and composer, Sangeet. Sangeet loves music, and she’s good at composing it, too. One day, Sangeet hears all kinds of noises everywhere and together, they have the most incredible beat. But when she tries to play it on her tabla— something is missing! This inspiring book will get any reader tapping their foot.
Out now!
memoirs
If you liked this:
Read this:
If you want more of the a book that moves as deftly between 90’s teenhood humour and reckoning with misogynistic trauma as Shashi Bhat’s The Most Precious Substance on Earth does, we recommend:
Skid Dogs by Emilia Symington-Fedy (Douglas & McIntyre)
A raw and riveting coming-of-age story about the wild love of teenage friendships. Giving a bold and often darkly humorous first-hand account of nineties rape culture and the sexual coercion that still permeates girlhood, Symington-Fedy holds her hometown close and accountable and exposes the subtle ways that misogyny shows up daily. Aislinn Hunter called it the “Stand By Me for girls that’s been far too long in coming.”
Out September 9, 2023!
If you liked this:
Read this:
If you enjoyed learning about the community surrounding textiles and crafts in Unravelling Canada by Sylvia Olsen, you might be interested in this memoir about community and quilting on the West Coast:
Knots and Stitches: Community Quilts Across the Harbour by Kristin Miller (Caitlin Press)
A woman’s story of grief and healing as she makes the move to a small harbour town on the West Coast terrain, this touching memoir is about the power of community, and a celebration of the stalwart women who honed their nautical skills, fell in and out of love, celebrated life’s milestones by making quilts together, and thrived in a harsh and sometimes dangerous environment.
Out September 15, 2023!
If you liked this:
Read this:
If you enjoyed the adventurous, dangerous, and mountainous setting in Adam Shoalts’ Beyond the Trees, check out Overexposure for the story of an outdoor adventurer who one day finds himself too close to peril, and subsequently embarks on a journey of the self:
Overexposure: A Story About a Skier by Chad Thayer (Rocky Mountain Books)
A breathtaking collection of photographs and personal reflections that unveil the remarkable life of Chad Sayers, a true adventurer. From professional ski mountaineering to surfing, climbing, and photography, Sayers embraces a perilous existence. However, the allure of fame and freedom becomes a tiresome treadmill, leading to isolation from loved ones and a fractured sense of self. Turning to travel, surfing, and photography, he embarks on a healing journey of rediscovery.
Out now!
Nonfiction
If you liked this:
Read this:
Echo Loba, Loba Echo: Of Wisdom, Wolves, and Women by Sonja Swift (Rocky Mountain Books)
A captivating exploration of the wolf’s profound cultural, environmental, historical, literary, metaphorical, and political significance. Through a blend of essays and poetry, this book takes you on a multidimensional journey, unveiling the rich metaphorical layers intertwined with the wolf’s existence. Discover the clash of worldviews and the enduring impact it has on our lives. Unveiling tales of survival, rebellion, and the vital role wolves play in maintaining balanced ecosystems, this narrative also challenges what society has chosen to forget or ignore.
Out October 3, 2023!
If you liked this:
Read this:
Did the engaging narrative in The Best Laid Plans pique your interest in Canadian politics? Try out this non-fiction read from UBC Press that examines the roles of Prime Ministers in Canadian government:
Statesmen, Strategists, and Diplomats, edited by Patrice Dutil (UBC Press)
Statesmen, Strategists, and Diplomats explores how prime ministers from Sir John A. Macdonald to Justin Trudeau have shaped foreign policy by manipulating government structures, adopting and rejecting options, and imprinting their personalities on the process. This original work will appeal to those interested in the work of Canadian prime ministers and the making of foreign policy; to scholars and students of Canadian foreign policy and its history; and broadly to Canadian historians, political scientists, and scholars of public administration.
Out now!